PDXPremier

I'm not sure if you can waitlist in-advance but I was on a business class saver award last October and GDL-DFW was in business, but the connection from DFW-PDX was in coach. My wife and two kids were with me and we had a long layover at DFW so we waited in the AC and when I told the agent in the AC that I was on a business award (using AS miles but on AA metal), she quickly cleared two of us instantly into F and put the other two on the waitlist. Eventually, all 4 of us cleared so yes, I think it can be done, but I think you'll probably have to wait til the day of travel when you can actually talk to a human being at the airport. Having access to the AC does help in situations like this....

ijgordon

There no advance waitlist for sAAver award inventory, which is what you need to move into first class. YMMV at the airport.
You could use ExpertFlyer to monitor for the U inventory, but because of married segments, the alert functionality may not be that accurate. Just because award inventory shows up on the domestic leg, doesn’t mean it will be there on a domestic leg that’s married to an international segment. You have to search for the entire journey.

PHL

Keep searching fo sAAver business award availability on the full routing of the current coach segment. If available, you can call and request to be re-ticketed.

worldwidetraveler

Thanks for the prompt replies. So as I now understand it,
1.) there is no advanced waitlist for standby for an upgrade of an award segment.
2.) one must search frequently to see if a full Business/First itinerary opens up & then re-ticket..
3.) At airport on day of travel, check with gate agent.

ANC RED-EYE

Hello all-

I am booked on an AS issued award. I'll be flying from DEN - MIA - SAP (Honduras). DEN - MIA is in Y, with MIA - SAP in J. I have about a 6 hour layover in MIA, so I believe bags will be checked all the way through when I check them in DEN. My question is, with the mixed cabin itinerary, will I get J luggage allowance (2x70lb)? (AS specifically says AA policies apply).

Thanks much for your expertise!

jimup

I am trying to book a business award ticket from LAX to DXB or AUH but every date I try over a 3 week span has the business award tickets actually in coach except for the last BA section (which is a coach seat with the middle seat blocked) Still charging $247 in taxes but actually in economy on all of the long sections.
I tried Madrid, Venice, Barcelona and get the same on all of them, Business but "first or business not available on one or more flights" and every long haul portion is in economy.

Suggestions?
Executive Platinum on AA
I tend to buy my ticket and use a SWU for upgrade and use miles for my companions.

Using the new "premium economy" search. PE is 125k miles and over $1k dollars to redeem an award ticket??

SeattleDavid

You don't say what your dates are, but if I pick my mid-week in March I find Business seats for the whole trip (LAX-BOS-LHR-DXB) including BA's new ClubSuite on LHR-DXB.

It does seem as though AA is not loading BA inventory into its system (except for BOS-LHR) - if you use baredemptionfinder.com you will see that there are seats available on LAX-LHR (on BA flights, with surcharges). On March 18-24 you can do LAX-LHR-DXB in Club World on all flights for 225000 Avios and $1500 surcharges – how you get aa.com (or a phone agent) to offer you that with AA miles, I have no idea, I'm afraid.

jimup

Just got off the phone with an agent and they cannot find any availability on AA metal at all across atlantic for any dates. Even for regular paid tickets with direct flights there is no availability for some reason. She said they must be doing updates.
This is a regular route for me, it is normally 57,500-70k miles and $124 through LHR or $47.10 if through Amman, or Bahrain. But tonight ALL AA metal transatlantic to ANY (I checked, CDG, BCN, MAD, VCE, FCO) books into economy long haul but charges you 70K miles (Business Mile Saver), and hundreds of $$ in taxes and fees.

akayyva

If you book an award booking for example jfk to eze with a stop in gru, where the long haul flight from jfk to gru is in business but the second Short leg when booking is in economy, can you later switch the economy leg to business if it becomes available?

you pay a business award rate when you book a multileg flight like that so I assume so. But my fear is that let’s say the gru to eze becomes available on award booking in business, that the agent will say she needs to be able to see the entire journey available in business to book the flight. But likely because you have the long haul booked yourself already it may not become available. So the entire itinerary may not become available on business to be booked.

mvoight

Yes, you can change for free if the seat becomes available on the shorter leg
You can also standby at the airport if one doesn't open before then.

akayyva

Is that true even if the second leg is on a partner?
thanks for the reply

scottinaz

My experience is they will not upgrade the coach leg to business unless the entire journey is available at the mileage amount you paid.

Dave Noble

If award availability becomes available , then you can contact AA and it will allow the change of cabin at no cost. If the pertner is BA, then it may impact Carrier surcharges
If it is a partner, then you cannot standby or similar to be upgraded

If married segment availability applies, then need to make sure that the segment has availability in conjunction with the connecting flight(s)

Bootman4U

Recently managed to get two award seats from SIN through HKG to YYZ with a termination in MIA in J. The YYZ-MIA segment is on American and only Economy seats were available. I called and asked if I could upgrade to "Business" (which is really F) and was told I would automatically be upgraded if seats eventually become available. The seat map for the particular segment on the particular date is totally open in J. I realize award seats are capacity controlled, etc. But I'm obviously, and I gather, foolishly missing something here. Please tell me what it is, thanks.

JJeffrey

The only thing you can do is keep monitoring award availability on the YYZ-MIA flight, if business sAAver space opens up then you can call AA and switch for no fee.

Whoever you talked to at AA had no idea what they were talking about, there is certainly no "automatic" upgrade process for flights where you've taken a voluntary downgrade. You have to manually monitor the award space then call if it opens up.